I'm Scared Too
by tropicalgirlie
Summary: This story fits right after "Jacksonville" but does not follow the storyline after that.  I wrote this right after that episode.  It's complete as of now, but if you want more chapters, let me know :


It was late, well after midnight when Olivia entered the hallway of the lab. She hadn't been able to sleep, and when a call to Peter and Walter's house yielded no results, she decided to go for a drive to try to clear her head. She thought briefly about calling Astrid, but since their relationship had never been an overly personal one, she decided she wouldn't really feel comfortable sharing her private thoughts were her assistant. Driving thought downtown Boston at night was soothing to Olivia. Something about the street and building lights at night was therapeutic, and she felt herself slowly relaxing as she traveled the metropolitan streets. She turned the CD player on low, her favorite classical CD. As she listened to the aria movement of Bach's Goldberg Variations, she chuckled softly to herself. Peter had once told her that Bach was _way_ too stuffy, but she always liked his music. There was something so simple about it, that it easily helped her further relax during her drive.

She continued on for almost an hour before driving towards Harvard. She didn't consciously make the decision to go to the lab, but before she knew it, she was traveling down the familiar streets around campus and was soon parking her SUV in the Kresge building's parking lot. She was slightly happy and nervous to see Peter's station wagon parked there as well. Their two vehicles were the only ones in the parking lot. She paused before getting out of her own car, checking her reflection in the rearview mirror. She had her hair in a ponytail, just like always. She had changed out of her suit long ago, opting for a black t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. She felt oddly dressed to be going to the lab, but took a deep breath, and got out of the car.

The summer air was warm, despite the fact that it was the middle of the night. She inhaled deeply, smelling the blossoms on the bushes around campus. Many were lilacs, and their sweet fragrance soothed her nerves farther. She climbed the Kresge Building stairs slowly, listening to the spring peepers that dwelled around the pond near the edge of campus. Olivia had always loved spring peepers. As a child, one of her vague memories from living in Jacksonville was hearing the spring peepers out her bedroom window. They had lulled her to sleep every night, their presence letting her know she wasn't alone. They had comforted her many nights, and they comforted her now. Pausing to listen for a moment, she took in their happy song, and then entered the building.

Once inside she began to walk a little faster, without realizing it at first. As she approached Walter's lab, she felt her heart speed up. It had done so the last several months, every time she knew she was nearing Peter. She didn't want to admit to herself, but knowing that he was near made her feel more alive. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but over their time together, she had grown very close to Peter Bishop. At first he was like an older brother, joking with her and looking out for her. Then it developed into friendship. She was closer to him than she had been to anyone since John Scott. She still felt sad when she thought of Scott, but her heart didn't lurch like it used to. It did when she thought of Peter, but in a different way. Their friendship was strong. She was able to know what he was thinking by the look on his face, or his body language, and it seemed that he could do the same with her. They protected each other, and although she was confident in her skills, she liked knowing that someone had her back. Now when she thought of Peter, many feelings welled up inside her. She was always happy to be around him, and yet she always felt nervous, worried that something would happen to him when they were on a case. Her primary goal during their investigations, aside from finding answers to the questions that were posed to them, was to protect him. Not just him, but them. Protecting _them_ was always on her mind. Over the last several weeks, at least in Olivia's mind, their friendship was growing into something more and she just hoped that Peter felt the same way. She wasn't good at expressing her feelings, and hadn't given herself over to anyone other than John in a long time. She was never sure whether risking her heart was worth the possibilities, but everything in her body told her that Peter was worth it…she just hoped that Peter reciprocated her feelings.

Just down the hall from the lab, Olivia stopped at the vending machine. She reached into her coat pocket and fished out several dollar bills. First she chose bottled water for herself, then a root beer for Peter. Drinks in hand, she covered the distance to the lab door, took a deep breath, and then went inside.

The lab was just as it always was; equipment and computers everywhere. Gene stood quietly in the corner chewing her cud, and the only noise was the hum of electricity flowing to all of the machines. Olivia glanced around the large room scanning for Peter. Then she saw him. He sat near the wall, his back to her. She could see he was reading something, but she couldn't make out what in the dark. Peter had opted to forego the lights, and had a dozen or so candles lit around him. The flickering lights cast a warm glow on his tan arms, and her chest tightened. He was wearing a deep blue t-shirt and sweatpants. She realized they must be his pajamas. His hair was slightly mussed, and she realized he must have been here a while. Taking several quiet steps towards him, she finally spoke, "And people call _me_ a workaholic." Peter turned toward her and put his book down.

"Hey, what on earth are you doing here at two in the morning?" He stood up and took several steps towards her. She gave a sheepish half smile and walked down the steps towards him. "I suppose I could ask you the same thing." She glanced around again, checking for any computers on, any indication that he had been in fact, working.

"I couldn't sleep. Walter was singing "three blind mice" in his sleep, and after the fifty-seventh verse, I decided I wanted to get out of the house. I tried waking him up, but no dice, so I thought about where I could go for some peace and quiet, and decided here would be good. I've been reading this book about William Churchill, so I grabbed that and drove over." He motioned to the book on the desk.

"You brought candles too?" Olivia nodded towards his reading lamps. Standing closer to them, she could detect a coconut fragrance. Looking back at Peter, she raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Hah, no. Walter has a whole bunch of them here actually. He told me they have something to do with the art of seduction in lab animals – something I had _no_ interest in hearing anymore about. They are however, much more pleasant than fluorescent lights and they smell good, so…" He paused, looking at Olivia. The candle light made his eyes shimmer and after several seconds, Olivia let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "…you still didn't tell me what _you're_ doing here." He grinned, his eyes traveling quickly up and down her body, then resting on the root beer in her left hand. "And don't tell me you drove all the way here to bring me a bottled water." He looked back up at her face, his brow furrowing slightly.

"No, the water is mine," she said, handing him the root beer. She felt her finger tremble when it came in contact with his. "I couldn't sleep either, so I went for a drive, and just ended up here. When I saw your car, I decided to come in and say hi. If you want to be alone, though, I can leave." She took a step back, biting the inside of her bottom lip. She eyed him expectantly.

"No. I mean, no I don't want to be alone. I mean, please feel free to stay." He walked back over to the desk he had been sitting at, folded down the page he had been reading, closed the book and leaned back on the desk. He opened the pop can, raised it in salute to Olivia and took a sip. Olivia walked over to Peter and leaned against the wall so they were half facing each other. She opened her bottle of water, suddenly self conscious, and took a sip. She closed her eyes and felt the cool water slide down her throat. They both stood in silence for several moments, listening to Gene, and the hum of the machinery. Finally Peter set down his pop can and turned to face Olivia. "Can we talk about something?" Her heart caught in her chest. She knew her eyes were wide, but she was just the tiniest bit relieved that Peter brought this up first. Not saying a word, she took another sip of her water and nodded. "I wanted to ask you about what you said to me when we were in Manhattan last week." When she didn't say anything, he continued, "You said you were scared, but Olivia, I've never seen you scared like that before. You said you were scared because you didn't know what to do to save all those people…but I know that that isn't the whole truth."

She waited for him to continue, hoping that he would. He was certainly on the right track, and it was easier in a way hearing him saying what she had a hard time even thinking about. When he didn't continue, she took a deep breath and spoke. "I'm not sure what you mean." He chuckled and took a step towards her. "Olivia, I used to make a living reading people, remember? And those were people I didn't know. I tend to think I know you pretty well, and you can't fool me. You've always been able to keep your cool under pressure, and no offense, I've never seen you so emotional before, not since…" He paused, gauging her reaction to his words, "…not since John Scott died." There, he had said it. He thought he could almost hear her heart pounding in her chest, though he was a good five feet away from her. He saw the pulse in her neck and watched her jaw clench. Closing the distance between them quickly before she could reply, he reached up with his left hand to cup her cheek. When he spoke next it was softer, much gentler, "I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess what you were feeling something similar in New York. The helplessness, the guilt at not having the answers," he took a step closer, "the feeling that everything rests on you," he took another step closer. He almost had her pinned up against the wall, but she did not feel threatened or trapped. She was frozen in time, hanging onto his words as if they were her life line. "I'm going out on an even farther limb to think that maybe you were scared because you were feeling many things you weren't used to, or that you hadn't felt in a long time," he brushed his thumb lightly across her cheek bone, "I know that scares you, but I just wanted to say…I'm scared too." He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead, placing a chaste kiss just below her hairline. Pausing there he closed his eyes, leaned slightly forward so his nose just touched her hair, and inhaled deeply. She felt her legs tremble as relief and nervousness flooded through her at an alarming rate. He felt the same way. Something she was so nervous about, worried that he would reject her or mock her, but he did neither. Her heart speed up and a feeling of fear replaced the nervous one. What was she supposed to do next? Without realizing, she leaned into his hand that still rested on her cheek. Peter exhaled slowly into her hair, then finally leaned back to look into her eyes. He smiled. "I just wanted you to know that I haven't felt like this in a long time either…a _really_ long time," he chuckled "and I know you were uncomfortable around me, since I almost kissed you in Manhattan. I just wanted you to know what I was thinking." He brushed her cheek once more with his thumb, then dropped his hand back to his root beer, which he took another drink of. Exhaling, he tilted his head to the side and waited for her response. He was surprised when she stepped towards him and embraced him in a hug. Laying her head on his shoulder, he felt her shaking. "Olivia, what's wrong? Are you alright?" He laid his head down the top of hers and wrapped his arms around her trembling body. He realized after a moment that she was laughing.

"I'm just relieved. I'm sorry Peter, I was just so nervous to talk to you about this because I was afraid of what you might say to me, of what you might think. I don't even know why I was so worried. All these scenarios just played out in my head at how you might laugh at me, or shoot me down. I just didn't know what to expect. I'm not good at reading people like you are, or the same way that you do." She leaned back to stand up, brushing a stray tear from her cheek. She couldn't quite meet Peter's eyes, but she smiled at him in earnest. She picked up her water from the desk and took a drink of it. The cool water brought her slightly back to her senses. "So where do we go from here?" Finally her eyes met his. She was glad to see that he was smiling.

"Well, although Walter would have us book a wedding chapel, I'm not quite inclined to do that just yet. How about we try spending time together, away from mad scientists, FBI agents and mass murders? Conventional wisdom would call it a date. I'm not a fan of that classification, but how about I take you out on a date?" He took the last sip of his pop and tossed the can in the recycle bin next to the desk. Olivia watched him in silence, then took his hand in hers, "That sounds nice." She looked down at his hand in hers and ran her thumb over his knuckles, then let go. Not knowing what to say next, she didn't say anything. Peter, again realizing that she was stuck with her toiling emotions, filled the silence. "How about this; tomorrow is… well today is Saturday. How about we both go home and get some sleep. I'll call you in the afternoon. I'll call Astrid to see if she wants to spend the day with Walter. Then, how about we get together at your place and watch a movie. You get the take-out, and I'll bring the beer and something to watch."

Olivia smiled back at Peter, the first smile she had given him that night that didn't have nerves behind it. "That sounds good Peter." She reached up to squeeze his shoulder. "Thank you…for everything." She glanced at the wall clock. "It's really late. I'm going to head home. I'll talk to you later." She smiled one more time before turning to leave. Once she was out of the lab, and he could no longer hear her footfalls in the hallway, he put the candles out, grabbed his book, and headed for the door. Just before he locked it behind him, he saw her headlights reflect though the window and onto the ceiling, he let out a breath he didn't know that _he_ had been holding. Walking slowly down the hallway, he headed out the door and to his car. This would be interesting. He knew that he had feelings for Olivia, and he knew they were more than friendly, but he didn't want to do anything to hurt their working relationship. They worked extremely well together, and not only did he trust her, he respected her. As Peter got in his car, he thought about what movie he would bring over, and smiled.

Peter slept amazingly well that night once he got home. Walter had obviously finished his song, as the house was quiet when Peter entered. The next morning around 11:00, Peter called Astrid, who agreed to come over to babysit Walter, as well as bring a few of his favorite games. After he hung up with Astrid, Peter dialed Olivia's number. It rang just once before she picked up. "Hello?" Peter grinned in spite of himself. "Good morning, Agent Dunham. How are you today?"

"Pretty good, how are you?"

"I'm good. Is it alright if I come over soon? I know it's kind of early, but Astrid will be here in about an hour, so I'm free after about noon." He waited for her answer, pacing back and forth in his room.

"Sounds fine. I was just throwing a sandwich together for lunch. Do you want one too?" He could hear the smile in her voice, and knowing that it was because of him made him happy. "That sounds good. Heavy on the turkey, light on the mayo, and I'll see you soon. Oh, one more thing. I don't know what kind of beer you like. Any particular favorite?"

"I've always liked Red Stripe. Ever hear of it?" Peter chuckled.

"Sure I have. It's actually my favorite. I'll see you soon."

"Bye." He closed his phone and slipped it in his pocket. He went downstairs to sit with Walter for a bit before Astrid got there.

Forty five minutes later Peter had a six-pack of Red Stripe and two DVD's in the passenger seat of his station wagon as he headed towards Olivia's apartment. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he got closer and closer. He was surprised as he turned down her block to see her standing outside of her front door, leaning against the railing of the stairs. She was looking the other direction down road from where he was coming. He was able to take her in without her knowing. She was wearing a Northwestern t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, black yoga capris and black flip-flops. He felt his chest tighten when he saw her dressed casually like this. Her hair was pulled back in a loose braid down her back. She was beautiful in her simplicity. He imagined she could wow a crowd in a ball gown or other formal attire, but he preferred her like this. He pulled up along the side of the road, just down from her apartment, and opened the door. Just then Olivia turned around and spotted him. Barely checking for traffic, she ran down the steps and across the road. Before Peter had a chance to close the driver door, Olivia was there. Standing square in front of him, she placed one hand on each side of his face and rose up on her tiptoes to bring their faces eye to eye. Before he could say anything, she kissed him, placing her lips flush against his. He felt her lower lip quiver slightly as he slid one hand into her braided hair and the other on the small of her back. Just as he was about to kiss her again she backed away. "I'm sorry," she said slightly out of breath. "I mean, I'm _not_ sorry, but I'm sorry our plans will have to change slightly. Rachel just called me. She and Ella are on their way here. Rachel has a job interview and Ella has a ballet recital tape she's dying to show me." Olivia blushed, obvious that she was rambling a little. "I can understand if you don't want to stay, I just wanted to say, well, I'm sorry." She tried to gauge his expression, but was happy when his face broke into a smile.

"Well you know I always love to see Ella and Rachel, and," he paused and kissed her quickly on the cheek, "you can apologize anytime." His smile widened as he closed the car door and walked around to the other side to grab the beer and movies.

"So you want to stay?" Olivia was relieved, and walked to the other side of the car with Peter to help him. He handed her the six-pack and placed his hand at the small of her back again as he guided her across the street and up the stairs.

"Of course I want to stay. I told you I wanted to spend time with you, didn't I? I think Rachel knows how I feel about you, and she knows I love Ella, so yes, I want to stay." Just then there was a horn honk and they both turned to see a cab pull up. It was barely stopped when Ella bust out.

"Aunt Liv, Aunt Liv!" She ran up the stairs to hug Olivia. Olivia scooped her up and spun her around. "Hey there baby girl. It's so good to see you." She put Ella down so she could hug Peter. Rachel came up the stairs smiling, her eyes glancing between Olivia and Peter and back to Olivia. She gave Olivia a questioning look and Olivia smiled and gave her a look that said 'later.' Olivia looked back at Ella.

"Guess what? Peter came over to watch your recital too." Ella smiled, grabbed Peter's hand and pulled him into the building, Olivia and Rachel right behind them. Once in Olivia's apartment, Rachel was grabbing a drink for Ella and herself in the kitchen, so Olivia grabbed Peter before he went in to put the beer away. "They will probably only be here a few hours. She said she has to catch a plane back home tonight. It was just an overnight trip. We can still do dinner and a movie." She smiled apologetically at Peter, and he smiled back.

"I told you, it's ok. I don't mind at all. And like I said, anytime you feel like apologizing," he breathed these words in her ear, causing her to shiver, "feel free." With that he went into the kitchen to put the beer away. "Hey Dunham," he called, "which sandwich is mine?" Olivia smiled and joined them in the kitchen.

Olivia finally closed the door on her sister and niece three hours later. The recital had been watched and rewound twice. They had been through ten hands of 'go fish' and they had all had a good time. When Rachel whispered to Olivia about Peter, Olivia promised to call her later, and stopped her questions with a wink. As Olivia turned back to her living room, and to Peter, she felt butterflies again. Although their feelings were out in the open, she was still nervous as to what to do next. Yet again, Peter relieved her of having to make the first move. He was putting a movie in the DVD player. "I hope you like old scary movies. This is one of my favorites." He held up the box and Olivia read the title.

"Rosemary's Baby? I've never seen it." She pressed her lips together, and then asked, "Do you want a beer?" Peter nodded as he grabbed her DVD remote and searched for the play button. She grabbed two beers out of the fridge, got a bottle opener from the drawer and opened both bottles. Walking back into the living room she started to sit down at one end of the couch, then decided to sit in the middle. For her this was a brave step. She chided herself for acting to silly, but she couldn't help it. Peter was looking at her movie collection when she sat down, so when he turned around he saw that he could sit on her right side or her left. He liked that she sat in the middle. He had wanted to sit next to her, but didn't want to be too bold. Too bold, he thought to himself…she had kissed him before he even said hello to her today. Smiling to himself he sat on her right and took a beer from her.

"So you've never seen this huh?" he asked, taking a drink. "It's a classic. I haven't seen it in years, but it's a good one." Olivia turned to watch him drink his beer, watching his Adam's apple move under the skin of his throat as he swallowed. Turning back to face the movie, she took a swig of her own beer, letting the coolness sooth her throat. She loved Red Stripe. She leaned over to the other edge of the couch to dim the light on the table. Sitting back down on the middle cushion, she leaned ever so slightly into Peter. He glanced down at her, and put his arm around her shoulder. She glanced up at him questioningly, and he patted his left shoulder with his right hand, invitingly. She grinned and rested her head lightly on his shoulder. She quickly became engrossed in the movie, surprised at how comfortable and natural this felt. They sat in silence for about an hour, when Peter's stomach rumbling brought them both back to the present. Olivia chuckled and sat up.

"It's ok, I'm hungry too. That sandwich didn't really stick. I don't have any food around here. I can order a pizza, or Chinese…which do you want?" She turned to look at Peter. He was looking right back. "Pizza," he said with a smile. "Order it however you like it. I'm not picky." He got up and headed for the bathroom, and Olivia walked over to the phone to order. When Peter came back out, Olivia had two more beers in hand. She handed one to Peter, who took it and clinked it against hers before drinking. She stepped away to lean on the back of the couch. "Pizza should be here in twenty minutes. It's a little place right around the corner. Garlic red sauce is amazing." She smiled, taking another drink of her beer.

"Sounds good." Peter walked over to where she stood and set his drink down on the table next to the couch, then took hers and set it next to his. He stood right in front of her, with one knee on each side of her legs. "I just wanted to do something," he trailed off as he reached one hand behind her head and pulled her ponytail holder out of her hair, which cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves. He slid his hand into her hair again and gripped it with just enough pressure for her to gasp, but not enough to hurt. He leaned down to kiss her again, but with a little more force than she had in the road earlier. He took her bottom lip gently between his and ran his tongue along the edge of it. Then he kissed her flush on both lips, his other hand joining the first in her hair. Then he tipped his head to kiss her ear and whispered, "apology accepted." He left his hands where they were but leaned back so he could see her face. Her face and neck were flushed pink, and her breathing was heavy. She looked beautiful. Her eyes were closed and she was biting her lower lip. When she opened her eyes Peter saw that her pupils were dilated. He didn't want to push her too hard, so he didn't go in for another kiss yet, but he didn't move either. Olivia looked from his eyes to his lips, then to his neck, where she leaned in and placed a kiss there, just to the side of his Adam's apple, then leaned in for another hug. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so bad at this Peter, I'm sorry." She closed her eyes, embarrassed at her statement. He put his chin on the top of her head, running his fingers up and down her back. "One, stop apologizing, and two, no you're not bad at this. You know how I feel and I know how you feel. I'm not proposing marriage here. I just want to spend time with you. I don't want to have sex with you," she jerked her head up at this, looking straight at him, "not today, anyways. I just want to sit here and eat pizza with you, and finish this movie…and maybe make out a little." He finished with a grin and she laughed out a sigh.

"I think I can handle all of that. I'm just gonna use the bathroom, I'll be right back." Peter went to sit back on the couch, this time with his back against the arm, his left leg along the couch and his right leg on the floor.

Olivia used the bathroom, and then splashed some cold water on her face. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and was surprised at what she saw. Her lips were slightly swollen, and her eyes looked darker than normal. She smiled to herself, ran a hand through her hair to tousle it a little, and then went back to the living room. When Olivia saw Peter on the couch, she smiled in spite of herself. As nervous as she was, he had a way of calming her. She sat down in front of him, and then leaned back against his chest. She took a sip of her beer and he started the movie again. It wasn't long and her doorbell rang. She made a noise of irritation, and Peter chuckled softly. She elbowed him softly in the chest, and got up to answer the door. When she came back with the pizza, she saw that Peter was sitting on the floor, his back leaning on the couch. He patted the spot on the floor next to him, and she sat down. "That smells so good. I _love_ garlic." She opened the box and he took out a slice. They ate for a while in silence, watching the end of the movie. Once it was over, she turned the DVD player off and started flipping through channels. She finally settled on 'Silence of the Lambs' then turned to Peter, who nodded in approval. He watched her take a bite of her pizza, then laughed again, "I love that you can watch a movie about cannibalism while eating dinner." She turned to smile at him. She had a small dab of pizza sauce at the corner of her mouth. Peter reached up with his thumb to wipe it away, but as he started to reach for a napkin, Olivia grabbed his hand. Peter watched as she reached her tongue out to lick the sauce off his thumb. She saw the desire burning in his eyes as she let her tongue linger just a bit longer than necessary. Peter moved the pizza box from between them and in one swift motion slid a leg over her so he was kneeled over her, straddling her legs with his own. He kissed her hard, passionately, pinning her shoulders against the couch with his hands. She moaned his name as she wound her fingers together behind his neck, pulling him towards her. She kissed him back with just as much passion. Every time their lips met little jolts of electricity shot straight though her body. This time when he ran his tongue along her bottom lip, she opened her mouth to allow him entry. He ran his tongue along hers, swallowing her next moan. His hands ran down her arms, sending chills down to her toes. Her skin was warm under his fingers, and he felt goose bumps rise up on her arms. He then placed kisses up her jaw and to her ear. He took her earlobe in his teeth and bit gently, and was rewarded with another moan. She ran her hands down his chest, and under his shirt. He groaned at the feel of her fingers on his bare chest. Finally in need of air, he broke the kiss. She gave him a sly smile and he couldn't help but be amazed. "People don't normally surprise me Olivia, but this takes the cake." He looked down at the two of them, then realized he was still pressing her shoulders into the couch. "Oh, jeez, I'm sorry." He slid off of her and up onto the couch with one leg on either side of her shoulders. She made a move to get up, but he held her down. He started rubbing her shoulders and she groaned again, closing her eyes. She could hear Hannibal Lecter in the background talking about filleting a man, but all she could think about were Peter's hands on her, rubbing the tension out of her body. Soon, his fingers were grazing her neck and sliding just under the neck of her t-shirt. Not wanting to push her, he went back to her shoulders.

Before she could stop herself, she asked, "Can you stay the night?" His hands froze, and she turned to look at him. "I don't want to have sex with you either, at least not tonight," she added to his raised eyebrow, "but I don't want you to leave. Can you stay?" Her eyes were so inviting, he leaned down and kissed her nose.

"Let me go grab my overnight bag out of the car." He kissed her quickly on the lips then got up and headed for the door.

"Overnight bag?" She looked at him over the edge of the couch with her eyebrows raised.

"Don't get any ideas Dunham, I've had it in my car ever since you press-ganged me into the Fringe division. I got tired of having to pack a bag every time you called at three in the morning." He was out the door then, and Olivia took a deep breath. This was going very quickly, and at the same time, it wasn't. It felt natural, like this was where she belonged. Kissing Peter felt normal, yet exciting and new, and it excited her to be feeling these things again. She stood up and grabbed the pizza box and brought it in the kitchen. She was wrapping the leftover pieces in foil when Peter came back in with a duffle bag in hand. He set it down just inside the door. She tucked her hair behind her ear and finished with the pizza and put it in the fridge. She wasn't really feeling much of a buzz, so she grabbed another beer.

"You want one?" She looked at Peter.

"Nah, that's ok." He glanced around the room, then grabbed the empty beer bottled by the couch and rinsed them out in the sink. He walked up behind Olivia and wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on her stomach. She spun around quickly and his hands landed on her butt briefly before he moved them up to her back.

"What about Walter? He can't stay by himself." Peter smiled at that.

"Actually, he asked me if Asterisk could stay for a sleep over." Olivia chuckled at that. "I told him that Agent Farnsworth had a life, but Walter made me ask her. She agreed, so she'll be there until tomorrow afternoon. I had planned to just stay out of their hair, but this will be much more enjoyable. Now, let's go in the living room and finish watching Silence of the Lambs." He took her hand and led her into the living room. This time she sat at the edge of the couch and put a pillow on her lap. Peter laid down with his head on the pillow. Olivia put her arm around him so it rested on his chest. He reached up to twine his hand with hers. She had flipped off the lights on her way in, so the only light now was from the TV. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was eleven pm. She felt herself getting sleepy, and after several minutes, she looked down to see that Peter had fallen asleep. She smiled and leaned back against the couch, closing her eyes. She felt happier than she had in a long time. Before long, she drifted off to sleep.

It was nearly four in the morning when Peter woke up. He had to think for a moment where he was, then it all came back to him and he smiled in spite of himself. He could feel Olivia's warmth beneath him. He lay very still, listening to her breath while she slept. He very rarely saw her vulnerable, and when he did, she was in pain, or scared. Not safe and warm and happy, and he liked that he could provide her that. He glanced at the TV and saw that an early morning infomercial was on. He picked up the remove off the floor to turn it off, but just then Olivia stirred.

"What time is it?" she asked sleepily. She took a deep breath and looked around the room, as if orienting herself to the situation as Peter had just done.

"It's just before four. I'm just gonna go brush my teeth and grab a blanket. Do you have a spare pillow I could use out here?"

"No, I mean, yes, in my bedroom, but I'd like you to join me in there, if you're comfortable with that." She watching him stretch and turn to face her.

"That would be nice." He got up and grabbed his bag and took it into the bathroom with him. While he was getting ready for bed she went into her bedroom and changed into boxer shorts and a tank top. She clicked the ceiling fan on low and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. When Peter entered the room he was wearing pajama pants and no shirt. She couldn't help but stare at his bare chest, and felt a smile creep onto her face. "You've been doing that a lot the last couple days," he said as he walked over to her.

"What's that?"

"Smiling. You've been smiling a lot. I like it." He sat down on the bed and bounced lightly a few times. "Ooo, comfy." She smiled and headed into the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she came back he was under the covers waiting for her. She walked around the bed and got in next to him.

"Thank you Peter."

"For what?" He turned on his side to study her face.

"For everything." She smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips, then turned away to yawn. "I'm sorry, I'm just really tired." He pulled her to him, and she lie on her side facing away from him. He didn't respond, but he reached over her to turn the lamp off. Within minutes they were asleep, Olivia cradled in Peter's arms.

When Olivia woke again it was nearly ten in the morning. She rolled over in the bed, but it was empty. Set sat up, and smelled coffee. Smiling, she got up and padded to the kitchen. Peter was standing there, reading the news paper and sitting a cup of coffee. "Sorry I left you. I didn't want to wake you, and I was having a serious coffee craving." Peter poured another cup of coffee and handed it to Olivia. She took it and took a sip, savoring the warmth that flowed through her, both from Peter and the coffee. She moved to stand next to him to peruse the front page of the paper. Suddenly, she felt like she had energy to burn.

"Hey, I feel like going for a run. Care to join me?" She turned to face Peter. He gave her a half smile.

"Sure, but something tells me you'll have to go easy on me. I'm not much of a runner, and I've seen you chase bad guys." He grinned at her. "Let me go change. I'll be ready in just a sec." He headed towards the bathroom.

While he was changing Olivia went back into her bedroom to change as well. Without thinking she grabbed her white sports bra and black nylon shorts. As she walked past her mirror she almost turned around to change. She was showing an awful lot of skin, but decided that she looked good and Peter would certainly enjoy the view, so she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, smiled at her reflection and headed back to the kitchen. Peter came out of the bathroom just then wearing a black wife beater and black running pants and sneakers. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Olivia. She flushed and tried to brush off his gaze, but as she walked past him he grabbed her arm. She turned to face him.

"Olivia, you're beautiful." He ran his fingertips up her arms to her shoulder, then back down. Leaning down he placed a kiss on her cheek. Her blush deepened.

"Uh, thanks. I just want to brush my teeth. I'll be right out." She hurried in the bathroom and was out quickly. Peter followed her out of her apartment and down the steps. He had to admit to himself how much he liked the view walking behind Olivia. He loved watching her shoulder blades move under her skin and the way the muscles in her legs contracted and relaxed as she went down the steps. Then she turned to him, "I normally do four miles, but I also have a two mile route. Which do you want to do?"

"Oh I think two miles will just about kill me, so let's do that." She laughed and they started off at a slow jog.

She normally liked to run much faster, but she didn't know how good Peter was at endurance, so she slowed down for him and let him set the pace.

As they ran she kept glancing over at him, watching his biceps flex as he swung his arms back and forth. Peter kept glancing down at Olivia next to him. He loved watching her hair sway back and forth, and the shape her lips took as she puffed out air. They kept eying each other until finally they both looked at the same time. Peter chuckled and Olivia looked away and smiled.

Their run took them to a small park close to Olivia's apartment; this marked the halfway point in her two mile loop. Peter was still in good shape, but he stopped at a drinking fountain for some water, so she took a drink after him. She could somehow tell as she drank the cool water and Peter was glancing at her backside in her flimsy short shorts. She liked the power that she held over him though she still wasn't one hundred percent confident to use it on him. She stood up, stretched, and then glanced back at Peter. He was breathing hard but nodded that he was ready to go. She noticed that he had picked up the pace a bit, and matched it easily. The sun still wasn't up high but it was hot, and she could feel the sweat running down her back and down her chest. She glanced over at Peter and noticed sweat on his forehead. They would both need a shower when they got back, and a chill went down her spine at the thought of sharing the water with him. They passed the rest of the run in silence and were soon back in front of her building.

Once back inside, Peter took off his shirt to wipe his face off, and Olivia bit her bottom lip and she looked at his skin. He went into her room and grabbed his bag and headed towards her bathroom. Just before he entered he stopped and looked at Olivia, his eyes a shade darker than normal. "I'm gonna jump in the shower." She nodded, but he didn't look away, "Care to join me?" He raised one eyebrow. She couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but before she could think about it he spoke again, "Never mind, it's ok. I'll be out soon." He closed the door behind him and she heard the water turn on. After several moments she heard the tambour of the water change and she knew he had stepped into the spray. Leaning on her kitchen counter she closed her eyes and pictured the water running down his tanned skin. She imagined his hair slicked down and the steam surrounding his nude form.

Another shudder ran through her body and stopped at her core. "Oh hell," she whispered to herself as she opened the bathroom door and walked in.

She quickly shed her shorts, sports bra and underwear. Pulling the elastic band out of her hair she took a deep breath and pulled back the shower curtain. Peter was facing the shower spray but turned his head quickly and she stepped in behind him. Pulling the curtain closed again she grabbed the soap and began to lather up her hands. Peter stayed facing away from her to let her control this situation, and he jerked slightly when he felt her running her soapy hands up and down the skin of his back. Applying pressure with her thumbs on either side of his spine she massaged and washed at the same time. When the lather ran out she grabbed the soap again and ran the bar down his left arm, then up his right, all the time in awe that she was allowed to do this. His body was beautiful because it belonged to the man she loved. She began to massage his neck at the base of his hairline and heard him moan her name. This sent a new shudder through her body. She leaned forward and placed a kiss between his shoulder blades, wrapping her arms around him.

He could feel her naked chest pressed against his back and his groin tightened. His eyes had been closed this whole time, which seemed to heighten his other senses. He couldn't believe she had actually come in to join him, and the feel of her body pressed against his was too much. He turned slowly around to see her. Her eyes, normally a grey green were deep hazel with her desire, and although he wanted to take in her naked body, he couldn't look away from her eyes. They held the depths of her desire, her insecurity and her trust in him. He was always amazed at how strong she was, but how insecure in herself at the same time. She could bring down a huge terrorist ring single handedly but couldn't admit to herself that she was desirable. He stared into her eyes, then spoke the same words he had the day before so early in the lab, "Olivia, I'm scared too." That was the last coherent thought he had as his lips descended upon hers.

This kiss was heated, full of animal passion. She willingly parted her lips for him and when his tongue entered her mouth, hers was there to meet it. He ran his fingers down her sides to grasp her hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She felt his erection against her stomach and it sent waves of heat to her groin. She moaned his name and heard him growl low in his throat.

He reached behind to cup her butt, and she leaned away from the water to kiss his neck, to suck on the hot flesh where his neck met his shoulder. She knew she would leave a mark, and he didn't care. He walked her backwards until her back was pressed against the tile wall. The tile was cold against her heated flesh, but all she cared about was the man in front of her, kissing her as she'd never been kissed before. He kissed up her jaw, each eyelid, down her neck and across her shoulders. Finally his fingers grazed her chest and she gasped. Her eyes rolled back and she closed them, focusing all her energy on the feeling of his hands on her breasts. He cupped them at the same time, weighing them in his hands, running his thumbs over the tips. She bit her lip but the moan escaped out. Finally he spoke.

"Olivia, open your eyes." His voice was husky; a tone that she had never heard in it before, but one that she would never forget and never wanted to lose. Her lids were heavy with desire, but she opened them to gaze at him. "You. Are. Beautiful." He smiled down at her, finally taking in her naked body pressed against the wall, hot and flushed with desire for him. He became more turned on knowing that it was for him that she looked this way, and because of her that he felt this way. She smiled too, then pulled him down for another kiss.

He grabbed her hips and lifted her slightly, putting one foot up on the edge of the tub. His knee was between her legs, which she wrapped around his waist. It was her turn to speak.

"Turn around." Peter looked at her, but the mischievous grin she gave him was enough encouragement. He turned, with her still wrapped around him so his back was against the wall. She grabbed the towel bar above his head and placed her feet on the tub ledge. She was now pressed into him, and her core was centered right over his erection. He grabbed her hips and his eyes locked with hers as he slowly lowered her down on him. They both moaned at the contact of her enveloping him. Her warmth radiated out of her center and he was amazed that he wasn't engulfed in flames. Her eyes closed and her brow furrowed as she relaxed, becoming used to his girth. After several seconds she slowly slid off of him, and he moaned again. He leaned forward to kiss her neck as she lowered herself on him again. They quickly found their pace and before long she could feel her orgasm building. Peter was being very quiet, but she could tell he was focused and was sure that he was close too. She had never been loud or vocal during sex, and the few men she had been with had never liked that. They were never satisfied unless she vocalized her feelings, and that always made her uncomfortable.

She was getting very close, and Peter's speed was nearly frantic so she knew he was almost there. She gripped his shoulder with one hand and dug her nails in as the first wave of her orgasm crashed through her. He thrust into her two more times, and at the third he let out a breath that he must have been holding for quite some time and groaned until all of the oxygen was out of his lungs. She could feel him explode inside her as she was carried away on the peak of her pleasure. He wrapped an arm around her back and held on tight as she could slowly feel him relax inside her. Her eyes were still closed and all she could feel was the spray of water on her back and his ragged breathing in her face. She savored both. Finally she opened her eyes and he was looking at her. He reached up to slide a stray strand of wet hair out of her face, but his eyes never left hers. He pulled her into a hug. "You are amazing," he whispered in her ear. She smiled and laid her head against his chest as her own breathing returned to normal.

He reached for her shampoo and poured some in his hand. "I doubt there's much hot water left, and after that, the last thing I need is to be doused in cold water," he grinned. "Turn around and tip your head back." Olivia did and he began to massage the shampoo into her hair. She sighed as his fingers slid around on her scalp, down to her neck, behind her ears and up to her forehead. Then he worked the shampoo down to the length of her blonde strands. Once finished, she turned and let the water run through her hair, feeling the soap run down the back of her legs to the drain. She arched back slightly in a position that was purely to temp him, and it worked. In one fluid motion he spun her around, shut the water off and ripped open the curtain. He picked her up, slung her over his shoulder and carried her to the bedroom. Dripping wet he threw her down and climbed on top of her. She pulled him down into another kiss, and this time he wasn't gentle or subtle when he entered her. She was amazed that in less than five minutes he was ready again, but then again, she was amazed that she was ready again. He buried his forehead in the crook of her neck as he drove into her, hard. He wasn't sure if he was hurting her, but she made no complaints and matched him thrust for thrust. It wasn't long until that tingling feeling started again in her center and slowly radiated out to her limbs. "Oh my God, Peter!" She bit her lip hard and closed her eyes.

"I know." He pushed into her hard and bit down on her shoulder and he became rigid and spilled into her again. She cried out as her own waves of pleasure exploded behind her eyes and flowed through every pore in her body.

Peter collapsed on top of her and she welcomed his weight. His back was mostly dry, and she ran her fingers up and down his backbone. He finally pulled out of her and rolled onto his side, bringing her with him so they were facing each other. He ran his finger lightly over the bite mark on her shoulder. She smiled, and touched the hickey she left on his neck. They both chuckled at the same time. She lay her head down on the pillow and looked at him, not sure what to say. Yet again, Peter spoke for her.

"Olivia, you are the most amazing woman I've ever met. Everything about you is amazing, and you continually surprise me. I don't get surprised very often, but I gotta tell you, I really am starting to like it." He clasped her hand in his and brought it to his mouth to kiss her palm. "And if running with you everyday results with this, then I am definitely game." She smiled at that and kissed him tenderly on the mouth. She lay still for a moment, then got up and went to the bathroom to get a towel for her hair. She heard him sigh as he watched her naked form from the back. She re-emerged and tossed a towel at Peter. She was drying her hair and Peter stood up and wrapped the towel around his waist. Olivia put on her bathrobe and threw her towel in the hamper. She was heading to the dresser when Peter came up behind her. He opened the top drawer and searched around for a minute, then found a black bra and matching panties. He pulled them out and handed them to her. She eyed him quizzically.

"These were what you wearing that day in the lab. The first time you went in the tank. I was terrified for your life at the time so I didn't mention it, but you looked so hot in these." Olivia grinned and blushed, but threw them on the bed. She went to her closet and grabbed a grey tank top and blue jeans. She got dressed while Peter rounded up his things from the bathroom and finally came back in the bedroom. He had on a green t-shirt and jeans, and he had never looked more amazing to her than he did at that moment, standing in her doorway. He set his bag down and approached her. He ran his fingers through her still damp hair and pulled her to him. She went willingly and lay her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating, and it was a comforting sound. She was used to the silence of her apartment, so to have life in it again was nice. He leaned his head down to whisper in her ear.

"I have to go home. I'm sure Astrid is wondering where I am. God only knows what Walter is thinking." He kissed the top of her head, then her cheek, then her lips. She closed her eyes at the sensation, savoring it.

"I have some paperwork to finish up on the Manhattan case, but maybe we could meet for drinks later."

Peter smiled and nodded and walked with Olivia to the door. She kissed him one more time before he left. Once he was out the door she went to the window. His car was parked down too far for her to see him, but she heard the car start and heard him pull away. She smiled to herself. She wasn't scared anymore.

**END PART ONE**


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